The present invention is directed to a cutlery dispenser and, more particularly, to a cutlery dispenser that is capable of dispensing one utensil at a time in a sanitary manner.
People are eating out now more often for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at public food establishments. Public food establishments generally provide eating utensils for their customers. In many fast food or other less formal types of food establishments, the food establishment provides disposable utensils, including spoons, forks, sporks, and knives, for its customers"" use. (A spork is a cross between a fork and a spoon, having an eating portion comprised of a bowl portion with tines (i.e., a tine portion) extending therefrom.)
A significant expense incurred in these types of establishments is the costs associated with these disposable utensils and other tableware. While it is necessary to make the utensils readily accessible to customers, there is a need to dispense the utensils in a sanitary manner and in a way that discourages the customers from taking more than the necessary number of utensils.
Presently, in some instances, the utensils are wrapped in plastic wrap, either individually or in combination (such as a spoon, a fork, a spork, and/or a knife in one plastic wrap). While the utensils are kept sanitary in the plastic wrap, people sometimes take more utensils than they actually need for their meal. This adds to the overall operating costs of the food establishment. In addition, this uses a lot of plastic wrap, which is an environmental issue.
In other instances, the food establishment provides containers filled with utensils such that a customer reaches into the container to grab a utensil. The containers are typically bins that have open tops, which allow the customers to remove any number of utensils. Similar to above, people sometimes take more utensils than needed, which adds to the overall operating costs of the food establishment. In addition, because the utensils are exposed, this alternative may be less than adequately sanitary. For example, if someone with oils or other contaminants on his hands reaches into the container, these contaminants may be transferred to utensils in the container that are not grabbed by that person but are grabbed by a subsequent person. Also, dust and other contaminants may readily contact the utensils in the container.
Certain types of cutlery dispensers are known in the art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,684, issued to Diemer; U.S. Pat. No. 2,188,573, issued to Longo; U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,127, issued to Driss et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,408, issued to Groenewold et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,568, issued to Tucker et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,141,684, issued to Diemer (xe2x80x9cthe ""684 patentxe2x80x9d), discloses a dispensing device. The ""684 patent discloses a dispensing cabinet that has an interior that is divided into a plurality of vertical compartments by partitions. For each compartment, there are two opposed vertical guide channels that contact both end portions of the article to be dispensed. At the bottom of the forward guide channel, a horizontal shelf is provided that extends inwardly and against which the forward end of the lowermost article may rest to support the entire stack of articles. In the front wall of the forward guide channel just above the horizontal shelf, an aperture allowing the entrance of an ejecting plunger into the compartment is provided. The rear wall of the rear guide channel is provided with an aperture of a size to permit only the passage therethrough of the lowermost article. The upper portion of an end of the plunger is provided with a bevel. In the normal position of the plunger, the lowermost article is resting on the shelf. When the article is to be dispensed, the plunger is manually pressed inwardly against the force of a spring, and then the inner end of the plunger engages with the forward end of the article. At the same time, the front end of the article just above the lowermost one is engaged on the bevel so that the entire stack of articles is raised so that the weight of the stack is appreciably released from the lowermost article. The lowermost article is simultaneously slid backwardly so that its end passes through the aperture in the rear guide channel. After the forward end of the lowermost article is pushed off of the forward shelf, the article takes an angular suspended position where it may be grasped by the user inserting his hand through a suitable opening in the front wall of the cabinet.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,188,573, issued to Longo (xe2x80x9cthe ""573 patentxe2x80x9d), discloses a dispenser. The ""573 patent discloses a cabinet that includes one or more holders therein, wherein each holder holds a particular type of cutlery utensil. The utensils are stacked in the holder so as to lay on lugs at each end of the bottom of the holder, which is otherwise open, and to lay on a block provided in a middle portion of the stack of utensils. In operation, a corresponding plunger for the desired utensil is thrust in using a button outside the dispenser. This actuates an appropriate lever and rocker arm, thereby turning an associated sleeve and moving an associated finger forward. This finger, engaging the handle of the utensil, will push such handle sideways through a cut-out in a vertical strip on one side of the holder and beyond the lug on that side into a downwardly and forwardly sloping slide. As the other end of the utensil is held back by a narrowed lower end of a vertical strip on the other side of the holder, a turning motion is imposed on the utensil to project its handle end over the slide. During this turning motion, as soon as the root end of the handle portion of the utensil is cleared away from the block below it, the tip of the utensil over the lug is freed from the holder and the utensil slides down along the slide onto a chute sloping downward and toward the bottom center of the cabinet.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,127, issued to Driss et al. (xe2x80x9cthe ""127 patentxe2x80x9d), discloses a machine for dispensing spoons or like articles. The ""127 patent discloses a housing that has a front end that is open but is closed by a removable cover. In the housing, spoons are stacked together facing downward, with the front ends of the spoons confined in a first channel and the rear ends confined in a second channel. The front lip of the lowermost spoon rests on a ledge in the first channel and the rear handle of that spoon rests on an extension of a horizontal connecting wall. When an electromagnet is energized, an armature moves an actuating member inwardly or rearward and an inclined edge of the actuating member engages the rear handle of the lowermost spoon to move that spoon sideways at an angle so that it is pushed off the extension and over an open space. This causes the lowermost spoon to tilt down from its handle end and thereby disengage itself from the ledge and drop by gravity into a chute. The spoon then slides down the chute to be manually removed through an opening in the removable front cover of the housing. When the electromagnet is deenergized, the armature and the actuating member are retracted and the next lowermost spoon rests on the ledge and extension, and is ready for release upon the next actuation of the actuating member.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,408, issued to Groenewold et al. (xe2x80x9cthe ""408 patentxe2x80x9d), discloses a cutlery dispenser. This patent discloses a flatware dispensing unit including a housing having at least one compartment. The compartment has an elongated slot for exposing a portion of the flatware. A flatware cartridge is receivable in the compartment, and has a complementary elongated slot substantially aligned with the elongated slot of the compartment. A handle portion of the flatware extends from the elongated slots of the cartridge and the compartment to allow one to remove the flatware from the cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,568, issued to Tucker et al. (xe2x80x9cthe ""568 patentxe2x80x9d), discloses a cutlery utensil dispenser. The ""568 patent discloses a dispenser including an interior compartment in communication with an exit opening and accessible through a closable door. A cartridge is accommodated in the interior compartment. The cartridge has at its lower end a removable cap member that provides a portal leading from the interior of the cartridge. The portal is sized such that a single cutlery utensil can pass therethrough. When the cartridge is in place in the interior compartment of the housing, the portal is situated in a pathway aligned with the exit opening. In one embodiment, dispensing a utensil is accomplished by the user rotating an externally accessible ejector such as a rotatable roller having at least one and, as shown in the drawings as four, ledges. Upon rotation of an external knob of the roller, one ledge engages a utensil situated in the portal to accomplish delivery of that utensil through the pathway and into the exit opening for user retrieval. In another embodiment, dispensing a utensil is accomplished by the user depressing an externally accessible ejector such as a lever that has a proximal end that is pushed downwardly by a user to retrieve a utensil. The lever has an internally protruding distal end, wherein upon pivotal movement of the lever on its pivot point, which occurs upon depression of the proximal end of the lever, the protruding distal end engages the dispensable utensil for ejecting the utensil from the portal to the exit opening.
The present invention provides a cutlery dispenser that is capable of dispensing one utensil at a time in a sanitary manner.
The present invention provides a utensil dispenser adapted for the dispensing of at least one utensil. In one embodiment, the dispenser includes a housing having at least a bottom wall comprising a base. In another embodiment, the dispenser includes a housing that defines an interior compartment. The housing may include at least one wall that defines an opening therein. In the interior compartment of the housing, the dispenser may include at least one base or at least one cassette assembly that has a base. A plurality of bases or cassette assemblies each having a base may be provided in the housing. At least one base defines at least one dispensing opening therein. At least one utensil is positioned on or adjacent to a top surface of the base. The dispenser also includes at least one dispensing mechanism capable of moving the at least one utensil. In one embodiment, a plurality of dispensing mechanisms are provided, each being associated with one of a plurality of cassette assemblies.
In one embodiment, a plurality of inclined portions are formed in at least a portion of a thickness of the base defining the dispensing opening. The inclined portions are inclined downward from a top surface of the base. Here, the at least one utensil is dispensed by the dispensing mechanism moving the at least one utensil downward along the inclined portions to fall through the dispensing opening.
In one embodiment, each inclined portion extends downward from the top surface of the base along a portion of an entire length of connecting edges of the dispensing opening. In another embodiment, each inclined portion extends downward from the top surface of the base along an entire length of connecting edges of the dispensing opening. The connecting edges connect a narrower portion of the dispensing opening and a wider portion of the dispensing opening. In one embodiment, each inclined portion is provided as about 20% to about 25% of the thickness of the base. In another embodiment, each inclined portion is provided along the entire thickness of the base. In one embodiment, each inclined portion is inclined downward at an angle of about 1 degree to about 89 degrees relative to the top surface of the base. In another embodiment, each inclined portion is inclined downward at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the top surface of the base.
In one embodiment, edges defining the dispensing opening on the top surface of the base from which the inclined portions incline are curved and are connecting edges that connect a narrower portion of the dispensing opening and a wider portion of the dispensing opening.
The dispenser may include a plurality of alignment members that extend generally perpendicularly from the base. At least one of the alignment members is an alignment guard member that defines an opening at a bottom end of the alignment guard member. The alignment guard member opening may be configured to allow only one utensil to pass therethrough at a time.
In one embodiment, the at least one utensil may be dispensed by the dispensing mechanism moving the at least one utensil toward the alignment guard member to move through the alignment guard member opening to fall through the dispensing opening. In one embodiment, the utensil is dispensed by moving it toward the alignment guard member and downward along the inclined portions to move through the alignment guard member opening to fall through the dispensing opening. The utensil may be dispensed through an opening defined in a wall of the housing.
In one embodiment, the housing includes at least one side wall. In one embodiment, the dispensing mechanism includes an actuating member and a shaft portion. The actuating member is provided outside of the at least one side wall of the housing. The shaft portion is connected with the actuating member and extends through an opening defined in the at least one side wall of the housing into the interior compartment of the housing. In one embodiment, the at least one utensil is dispensed by a user moving the actuating member which moves the shaft portion which moves the at least one utensil downward along the inclined portion to move the at least one utensil to fall through the dispensing opening. The shaft portion may be configured to move only one utensil at a time.
In one embodiment, the dispensing mechanism may include a spring positioned around the shaft portion. A first end of the spring contacts the actuating member and a second end of the spring contacts an outer edge of the base. Before dispensing, the actuating member is biased away from the at least one wall of the housing so that the shaft portion is biased away from the at least one utensil. The user pushes the actuating member against the biasing force of the spring to dispense the at least one utensil.
In one embodiment, a plurality of utensils are provided in a stack. A bottommost utensil in the stack may be dispensed by the dispensing mechanism moving the bottommost utensil to fall through the dispensing opening. In one embodiment, the bottommost utensil is dispensed by the dispensing mechanism moving the bottommost utensil downward along the inclined portions to fall through the dispensing opening.
In one embodiment, the bottommost utensil is dispensed with no raising of any of the utensils positioned above the bottommost utensil in the stack. In another embodiment, the bottommost utensil is dispensed with only incidental raising of any of the utensils positioned above the bottommost utensil in the stack. In another embodiment, the bottommost utensil is dispensed without substantially raising any of the utensils positioned above the bottommost utensil. In addition, after the bottommost utensil falls through the dispensing opening, the stack of utensils may realign so that a utensil that had been adjacently above the dispensed bottommost utensil becomes a new bottommost utensil that is capable of being dispensed.
The present invention also provides a method of dispensing a utensil. In one embodiment, the method includes providing at least one base or, in another embodiment, providing a housing having at least a bottom wall comprising a base. The base defines at least one dispensing opening therein. In another embodiment, the method includes providing a housing having at least one wall that defines an opening therein. The housing defines an interior compartment, and at least one base or at least one cassette assembly having a base is provided in the interior compartment of the housing. At least one base defines at least one dispensing opening therein. A plurality of bases or cassette assemblies each having a base may be provided in the housing. At least one utensil is positioned on or adjacent to the top surface of the base. The method includes providing at least one dispensing mechanism capable of moving the at least one utensil. In one embodiment, a plurality of dispensing mechanisms are provided, each being associated with one of a plurality of bases or cassette assemblies.
In one embodiment, a plurality of inclined portions are formed in at least a portion of a thickness of the base defining the dispensing opening. The inclined portions are inclined downward from a top surface of the base. Here, the method further includes dispensing the at least one utensil by the dispensing mechanism moving the at least one utensil downward along the inclined portions to fall through the dispensing opening.
The method may also include providing a plurality of alignment members that extend generally perpendicularly from the base. At least one of the alignment members is an alignment guard member that defines an opening at a bottom end of the alignment guard member.
In another embodiment, the utensil dispenser includes a housing having at least a bottom wall comprising a base having at least one dispensing opening defined therein. A plurality of downwardly inclined support surfaces are formed in the base adjacent the dispensing opening. The dispenser also includes a plurality of alignment members that extend generally perpendicularly from the base. At least one of the alignment members is an alignment guard member that defines a lateral opening extending generally perpendicularly away from the base at an end of the alignment guard member adjacent the base. The alignment members are configured and disposed to restrain a stack of a plurality of utensils resting on the base closely adjacent to the dispensing opening in a supported configuration and restraining all but a bottommost utensil of the stack of utensils from being moved out of the supported configuration.
The bottommost utensil is positioned on or adjacent to a top surface of the base and is capable of being moved through the lateral opening out of the supported configuration. The dispenser further includes a dispensing mechanism capable of moving the bottommost utensil through the lateral opening out of the supported configuration.
The bottommost utensil of the stack of utensils is dispensed by the dispensing mechanism moving the bottommost utensil toward the alignment guard member and downward along the inclined support surfaces to move through the lateral opening to fall through the dispensing opening without imparting substantial upward movement to any of the utensils stacked above the bottommost utensil.
In another embodiment, the method of dispensing a utensil includes providing a housing and providing a base within the housing that has at least one dispensing opening defined therethrough. A plurality of downwardly inclined support surfaces are formed in the base adjacent the dispensing opening. A bottommost utensil of a stack of utensils is positioned on or adjacent to a top surface of the base. The method further includes providing a dispensing mechanism capable of moving the bottommost utensil.
In one embodiment, the method further includes providing a plurality of alignment members that extend generally perpendicularly from the base. At least one of the alignment members is an alignment guard member that defines a lateral opening extending generally perpendicularly away from the base at an end of the alignment guard member adjacent the base. The alignment members are configured and disposed to restrain the stack of a plurality of utensils resting on the base closely adjacent to the dispensing opening in a supported configuration and restraining all but a bottommost utensil of the stack of utensils from being moved out of the supported configuration.
The method further includes dispensing the bottommost utensil of the stack of utensils by the dispensing mechanism moving the bottommost utensil downward along the inclined support surfaces to fall through the dispensing opening without imparting substantial upward movement to any of the utensils stacked above the bottommost utensil.
In another embodiment, a length of the dispensing opening is greater than a length of a utensil to be dispensed from the utensil dispenser. At least one utensil is positioned on or adjacent to a top surface of the base. Before being dispensed, the at least one utensil partly lays over the dispensing opening. The at least one utensil is dispensed by the dispensing mechanism moving the at least one utensil to fall through the dispensing opening.
In one embodiment, the dispensing mechanism includes a translating mechanism for translating a motion from a first direction to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Here, the at least one utensil may be dispensed by the dispensing mechanism moving the at least one utensil toward the alignment guard member to move through the alignment guard member opening to fall through the dispensing opening.
The translating mechanism includes a translating portion having a first end and a second end, and a pushing portion. The first end of the translating portion is connected with the shaft portion. The second end of the translating portion is connected with the pushing portion. The second end of the translating portion and the pushing portion are connected together with the base at a pivot point. The pushing portion is capable of moving the at least one utensil.
In one embodiment, the at least one utensil is dispensed by a user moving the actuating member which moves the shaft portion which moves the translating portion. This causes the first end of the translating portion to move in the first direction and causes the second end of the translating portion to rotate at the pivot point. This causes the pushing portion to rotate toward the at least one utensil and then to move the at least one utensil to fall through the dispensing opening. The pushing portion may be configured to move only one utensil at a time.
In one embodiment, at least one inclined portion is formed in at least a portion of a thickness of the base defining the dispensing opening. The inclined portion is inclined downward from the top surface of the base.
In one embodiment, a size and a shape of the dispensing opening is dependent on the type of utensil to be dispensed.
The housing may be mounted on a wall. A bin or tray may be positioned under the housing so that a utensil dispensed from the housing falls into the bin or tray. The bin or tray may also be mounted on a wall.
A holding member may be provided in the housing to support the base or the cassette assembly, or a plurality of bases or cassette assemblies. The holding member may be spaced from the bottom of the housing.
A slider member may be provided under the housing, or within the housing, so that a utensil is capable of sliding down the slider member after falling through the dispensing opening. In one embodiment, the sliding member may include a stopping member. In another embodiment, a stopping member may be provided that extends outward and upward from a bottom of at least one wall of the housing. The utensil may be stopped from sliding down the slider member by the stopping member.
In one embodiment, at least a portion of at least one side wall of the housing is transparent. In another embodiment, the side wall of the housing is transparent.
In one embodiment, one or more cassette assemblies are replenished by providing at least one new utensil in the cassette assemblies. In another embodiment, one or more cassette assemblies are removed from the housing and replaced with other cassette assemblies.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.